ZIRO, SEPT 9:

The Tribal Artisan Empanelment Mela (TAeM) was organised for the first time at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hall of the District Secretariat here, providing local tribal artisans an opportunity to gain direct access to national and international markets while promoting traditional craftsmanship.

The mela was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme as chief guest, with DRCS Hage Komo as Guest of Honour.

The programme was coordinated by Asif Ekbal Hussain Senior Programme Executive and Prabha Choudhury Assistant Manager, in collaboration with local officials, including Dani Yamang ARCS and Takhe Tado Managing Director of Subansiri LAMPS.

Around 20 tribal artisans participated in the event, showcasing traditional handlooms, handicrafts and organic agricultural products.

The primary objective of the initiative was to facilitate registration of local producers with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), enabling them to access wider markets through exhibitions and Tribes India commercial outlets.

The initiative also seeks to promote tribal culture, indigenous cuisine and traditional skills while generating direct economic benefits for artisans.

During the mela, artisans were guided through the empanelment process and briefed about the documents required, including a valid Scheduled Tribe certificate, Aadhaar card, bank passbook, passport-size photographs and physical samples of their products.

Each participating artisan was provided a lump-sum travel allowance of Rs 500, while payments for procured product samples would be credited directly to their bank accounts following evaluation.